GOTHS, JOHANN WOLFGANG VON, was born at Frankfurt-on the.Maine on the 28th of August 1749. The history, or rather the poetical account, which he has given of his own life in the book entitled ' Dichtuog rand 'Vahrheit: aus meinem Leben,' enables the reader to trace from early childhood the mental development of this extraordinary man. The taste of his father (who was a mau in comfortable circumstances) for literature and works of art, and the sensation created by the breaking out of the Seven Years' War, had a great influence on his mind, and had the effect of forming him to habits of reflection. In early years he seems to have had anxious thoughts about religion, and before he bad attained the age of eight he devised a form of worship to the 'God of Nature,' aud aotually burned sacrifices. Music, drawing, natural science, the study of languages, all had charms for him ; and to further his proficiency in language, he wrote a romance, wherein seven sisters corresponded each in a different tongue. He soon turned his attention to poetry, and composed songs for the amusement of some young persons with whom he had become accidentally acquainted. These young persons however turned out to be bad characters, and his connection with them was broken oft The intimacy led to his feeling for the first time the passion of love. Gretchen (Peggy), who gave a name to the heroine of Faust,' was the object of his early passion; she was related to one of his young friends, and seems to have been a sensible well inclined girl, who would have warned him from her own circle of acquaintance. After the connection was broken off, be never saw her again : a severe fit of illness was the consequence of this separation. Shortly after his recovery he was sent to the University of Leipzig, where Gottscbed, who favoured the French school, Ernesti, and Gellert, were leading men. Here his decided poetical turn first became mani fest; and though his father designed him to study jurisprudence, instead of devoting himself to this pursuit, he looked around him, in order to learn or discover some satisfactory theory of poetry. But it
was the infancy of German literature : he could find no certain criterion of taste, and this prompted him to look within himself. "Here began," says he, "that tendency, from which I did not depart all my life, to turn everything which pleased or pained me into a song." A little piece called 'Die Layne des Verliebten ' (' The Lover's Whimsicality ') appeared at this time, as well as a comedy called 'Die Mitsehuldiger ' (' The Accomplices '), which was designed to exhibit the immorality of private life concealed uuder R smooth out side. He also paid attention to the history of the floe arta : Winckel mann was his favourite author. He even made some attempts at etching ; but the exhalations of the acid impaired his health, and he had hardly recovered in 1768, the year in which be left Leipzig. To restore him to strength, he was sent to the residence of a lady named Kletteuberg, the ' fair saint,' whose confessions are recorded iu ' Wilhelm Meister.' She was a mystic : her society led Clothe to study the alchemical and cabalistic authors; and he even had thoughts of founding a new religion, to be based on the Alexandrian philosophy. These strange pursuits made him turn his attention to natural science, and when he went to Strasbourg to finish his legal studies he neglected jurisprudence for chemistry and anatomy. Here he became acquainted with Herder, who advised bim to peruse the Italian poets. On his return home he published the play of (Ritz von Berlichingen ' (1773) and the novel of Werther' (1774), which excited a sensation over all Germany. The Prince of Weimar made his acquaintance, and ou assuming the government invited him to his court. He went to Weimar in 1775, and in 1779 was made a privy-councillor (geheitnrath), and in the same year accompanied his prince to Switzerland. In 1786 ho travelled into Italy, where he remained two years. Subsequently he became one of the ministry, received honourable mnrke of diAinc tion from different sovereigns, and closed a long life, devoted entirely to science, literature, and art, in 1832.